Growing medium and method of manufacturing

ABSTRACT

According to at least one embodiment, a growing medium and method of making said growing medium is shown and described. This medium may include at least a first and second component such that at least one of the first or second component is coconut coir and the other of the at least first or second component is a wood fiber. In one embodiment, the at least first and second component are combined and then compressed via heat and pressure resulting in a finished medium for an end user.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 16/894,861, filed Jun. 7, 2020, which claims the benefit ofU.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/859,001 filed Jun. 8, 2019,each of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a media, and more particularly, to a growingmedia for plant growth having two different materials or components, oneof which is coconut coir. The invention also relates to a method ofconstructing a finished product which may be combined with othercomponents and compressed into any desired finished shape desired in themarket.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

Growing media are known as different types of materials or compositionswhich support plant growth and can take either a solid or liquid form.Growing media can be constructed using different types of materials orcomponents which can be adjusted for preferred medium texture and use.End users often choose which growing media is best suited for his or herneeds for a specific plant. What type of growing media is best, is oftendependent on what plant the media must support. For example, it is wellknown that microgreens do not require many nutrients for growth. Thus,the only purpose for a growing medium for a microgreen is for supportand less nutrients are required in the media.

It is important when an end user is selecting a growing medium for aparticular plant that the user takes into consideration the requirednutrient texture needed as well as water absorption and exudingcapacity. A user often considers whether the particular growing mediumis easy to handle and is completely dependent on the end user'spreferences.

Coconut coir is an organic product that is very sustainable and thus maybe a desirable element in a growing medium. Coconut coir is a type offiber that is forced from the tough, dense husk inside coconuts. It iscomposed of everything in between the shell and the outer coating of thecoconut seed. In India, for instance, more than 7.5 million tons ofcoconut coir are produced annually. Coconut coir can provide awater-based, nutrient-rich solution and may, if desired, replace soil,as the source of nutrients for gardening uses. It can also be used as amulching and soil treatment medium.

Wood fiber is made from parts of a tree that are broken into fragmentsor pieces and may also be utilized as a growing medium. Wood fiber isnormally found as strands of wood that can be combined together forutilization. The wood fiber may be formed as curling strands of wood oras wood chips. Wood fiber could include any part of a tree trunk, suchas bark, cambium, sapwood, heartwood, or pith.

Coconut coir when used solely as a growing medium has benefits but alsolimitations. The small particle size of the coconut coir means that moreparticles are required for a desired amount of media, and thus a largervolume of coconut coir. Furthermore, coconut coir without the additionof hydroponic nutrients is somewhat inert. This issue is furthercompounded with the naturally high salt levels in coco coir that candestroy flora, herbage, and verdure. Lastly, after refinement, coconutcoir is typically shipped in dry, compressed bricks requiringrehydration by the user. This adds significant labor, time, andcommitment when looking at coconut coir as a growing medium.

Wood fiber as a growing medium also has its own limitations. While woodfiber provides very good structural strength and size, it is limited inthat it does not provide as fine of a material as may be desired.Furthermore, wood fibers pull needed nitrogen from the soil. Wood fibersalso decompose in the soil thus preventing the soil's ability to aerate.What is currently needed in the marketplace and what is provided by thepresent invention, is a growing medium having at least two components inwhich one component may be a coconut coir material and the secondcomponent may be a wood fiber material which when utilized, provides thebenefits of both materials without incorporating the weaknesses of each.A benefit of the present invention is to provide for a multi-use mediumfor various forms of flora, vegetation, and plants.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The subject matter of the present invention in one embodiment providesfor a combination of at least a first or second component resulting in afinished medium. In one embodiment presently set forth, a firstcomponent is a given percentage of coconut coir and a second componentis a type of wood fiber material resulting in a finished product forgrowth purposes.

In one embodiment of the present invention a mixture of more than onecomponent is provided that can be conveniently formulated in variablequantities that is stable during storage and shipping.

The present invention provides for different methods of constructing thefinished medium presently set forth. For instance, in one embodiment ofthe present invention, a mixture of at least two different componentsare provided such that at least one of the components is coconut coirand the mixture is treated with both heat and pressure, simultaneouslyor substantially simultaneously, to result in a finalized medium foruse.

The present invention sets forth a method for making a growing mediumfor plant life by providing a first component and a second componentsuch that said first component is coconut coir and said second componentis wood fiber. Next, said first component is broken into a plurality offirst fragments such that each of said first fragments of said firstcomponent has a particle size, and, optionally, a pH value that does notexceed 6.8 and a pH of a totality of all the fragments is not less than5.5. The second component is dried and broken into a plurality of secondfragments as well, and, optionally, said plurality of said secondfragments have a pH of no less than 4.1 and no greater than 4.9. Thefirst and second component are combined, and compressed into a shape andsize using heat and pressure simultaneously or substantiallysimultaneously. In one embodiment, first component has an electricalconductivity (EC) value less than 0.800 S/m.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the method further comprisedconfirming said coconut coir has a specific moisture content value andsaid specific moisture content value is less than twenty (20) percent,and a mass ratio of the said first component to said second component is20/80 percent. The method of the present invention may also include theaddition of one or more additives to said second component.

The second component for the method may be selected from a groupconsisting of fibers from hardwood trees and fibers from softwood trees,and the first component and said second component may further be mixedwith at least one sterilized stirring device. It is also contemplated,that the growing medium, after compressing, may be compressed in asterile container such that the container may be vacuum sealed. Thegrowing medium, alternatively, may be also be placed into a compressiblerepository after compressing such that the compressible repository issterile and can withstand a set amount of pressure.

The method presently set forth also contemplates providing at least athird component such that the third component is an activated carboncomponent.

In an alternative method of the present invention, a method for making agrowing medium, is set forth comprising the steps of: providing at leasta first and second component; processing coconut coir into a pluralityof fragments; adding a plurality of wood fibers to the coconut coir;combining the coconut coir and wood fibers; and compressing the coconutcoir and wood fibers into a shape and size using a hydraulic compressorsuch that the medium is first compressed to at least 90 metric tons persquare meter (MT) and the medium is then compressed to greater than 90metric tons per square meter (MT). It is contemplated that aftercompressing the medium, the physical properties of the medium may betested and then each of said physical properties are verified with avariance of a set of preferred values. The set of preferred values maycomprise a mixture in the ratio of 50/50 or 80/20 wood fiber to coconutcoir, or a mixture comprising from 50% to 80% wood fiber by mass, or amixture comprising from 20% to 50% coconut coir by mass, or less than20% moisture by mass, or; optionally, an acidic pH level. It is alsocontemplated that activated carbon may be added prior to combining thewood fiber and the coconut coir.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a growing medium is setforth comprising at least a first and second component such that atleast one of either the first or the second component is coconut coir,optionally having a pH not less than 5.5, and the other component isrecyclable; at least a third component such that the third component isactivated carbon; and the growing medium is a compressed shapecompressed at different rates. In one embodiment, the second componentis a wood fiber, and the ratio of the at least first component to the atleast second component is a 20/80 ratio.

Additional objects and features of the invention will be apparent tothose skilled in the art from the following detailed description andappended claims.

The following presents a simplified summary in order to provide a basicunderstanding of some aspects of the disclosed innovation. This summaryis not an extensive overview, and it is not intended to identifykey/critical elements or to delineate the scope thereof. Its solepurpose is to present some concepts in a simplified form as a prelude tothe more detailed description that is presented later.

As it will be realized, the invention is capable of other differentembodiments and its several details are capable of modifications invarious obvious aspects all without departing from the scope of theinvention. Accordingly, the drawing and descriptions will be regarded asillustrative in nature and not as restrictive.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A illustrates an overall depiction of the growing medium of thepresent invention;

FIG. 1B illustrates a magnified depiction of the growing medium of thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a table describing the physical properties of WoodFibre (Fiber);

FIG. 3 illustrates one generalized method of making the growing mediumof the present invention; and

FIG. 4 illustrates a block diagram of a method of making the growingmedium of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The claimed subject matter is now described. In the followingdescription, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details areset forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the claimedsubject matter. It may be evident, however, that the claimed subjectmatter may be practiced with or without any combination of thesespecific details, without departing from the spirit and scope of thisinvention and the claims.

The present invention is directed toward a medium comprising acombination of at least two components. In one embodiment presently setforth, the medium comprises at least a first and a second component inwhich the first and second components are in unequal percentagesthroughout the overall medium. In other embodiments the components arein equal percentages. It is also contemplated that the at least thefirst and second components may be present in the finished product inequal amounts by weight. The varying percentages utilized of a componentwould depend on the desired qualities of growing medium by an end userof the finished medium. It is important to note that the presentinvention is not limited to a certain percentage of either the first orsecond component and the present invention is not limited to a certainnumber of components that make up the totality of the medium. Forinstance, the present invention contemplates that the growing medium maycomprise a plurality of components and one of the components is coconutcoir. In another embodiment, at least one component utilized in thefinished growing medium is a sustainable component that is recyclable.

The preferred embodiment of the invention pertains to a growing mediumutilized for growing plants and a method of manufacturing and use of thegrowing medium. The growing medium is comprised of at least twocomponents. A first component is formed from coconut coir. The coconutcoir may be obtained from coco peat (pith inside the coconut husk), cocofiber, or coco chips (chunks of coconut husk). The coconut coir may betreated or buffered with a calcium nitrate solution to create a treatedor buffered coir. The second component utilized is wood fiber which isobtained from either a hard wood or a soft wood. In some embodiments athird component of activated carbon may be added to the mixture.

In one embodiment presently contemplated, at least one of the componentsin the growth medium is a wood fiber (also known as fibre in the art)having a range between ten percent to fifty percent of the entiremedium. The second component may be coconut coir, thus if ten percent ofwood fiber is used then ninety percent of coconut coir is used. If fiftypercent of wood fiber is used, then fifty percent of coconut coir isused. In a preferred embodiment the growing medium contains between tenpercent and thirty percent of wood fiber. In this particular range, thecombined wood fiber and coconut coir have the ability to optimize thewater retention and air porosity of the medium. It is important to notethat either a first, second or any number of components may be coconutcoir in the present invention.

In one embodiment presently contemplated, the overall growing mediumcomprises almost completely coconut coir as the first or secondcomponent and the other component or components occupy a smallpercentage of the overall totality of the growing medium.

Attention is directed to FIG. 1A of the present invention whichillustrates the finished product—the growing medium 100 available for anend user. FIG. 1B illustrates a magnified view of uncompressed growingmedium having at least a first component 110 and second component 120.

To make a growing medium presently contemplated, an end user must firstselect what type of growing medium is best suited for his or her needs.From there, at least a medium having at least a first and secondcomponent is selected. In one embodiment presently contemplated eitherthe first or second component is coconut coir. A benefit of utilizingcoconut coir in an overall medium is that it is known for its waterretention properties, but also allows for proper drainage and preventswater logging of plant roots helping to prevent rot. Coconut coir alsocontains helpful micronutrients which aid in plant growth such asmagnesium and calcium.

If coconut coir is utilized as a component of the overall medium, thecoconut coir preferably is properly prepared prior to going further inthe manufacturing process. For instance, the coconut coir is processedby chopping, cutting, pulling and/or separating into a plurality ofsmaller components or pieces or broken down into “dust” which aids inthe ease of processing. When the coconut coir is broken down into“dust”, in one embodiment it has a bulk density of at least 0.074 g cm³,a particle density of at least 0.758 g cm³, a total pore space of atleast 96.264% of the volume, and a shrinkage percentage volume of atleast 11.206%. The plurality of smaller components of coconut coir maybe washed and dried to remove any undesired contaminants. Coconut coircan be washed and dried by any means known in the art. In oneembodiment, the coconut coir may be washed in “tidal waves” and if donein these waves, the coir will need to be flushed out. The coconut coiris then removed from a water bath and may be dried for almost over ayear. After being completely dried the coir can be organized into bales.Processing of coconut coir may also require buffering by means known inthe art to introduce certain ions as coconut coir if un-buffered may betoo high in in sodium and potassium and too low in other nutrients suchas calcium and magnesium. For instance, buffering may be accomplished byadding certain supplements having certain desirable ions (Ca+2 and MG+2)to remove natural potassium and sodium ions. Coconut coir also has anelectrical conductivity of 0.800 S/m or less in one embodiment.Electrical conductance is the measurement of the coconut coir's abilityto conduct an electrical current, and in one embodiment is calculatedutilizing a formula of Conductivity=1/Electrical Resistivity SI unit. Aconductivity meter along with a probe are often used to provide anelectrical voltage to a solution or item, such as coconut coir, beingmeasured for electrical conductivity.

The present invention also contemplates that the coconut coir may besteam sanitized as well. The individual particle size of the coconutcoir is not critical and may be any size presently contemplated in theart. For example, in one embodiment, the coconut coir ranges from 1 mmto 12 mm in size.

In one embodiment of the present invention, if coconut coir is utilizedas a component within the overall finished growing medium, it has aspecific moisture value and a moisture content of the fragments of thecoconut coir when processed is less than twenty (20) percent. Saidmoisture content of a substance or article can be determined utilizing amoisture analyzers or balancers known in the art. Moisture content canalso be determined, in one embodiment, by drying said sample in an ovenor other type of dryer. The sample is then placed into a container andweighed. The container weight is subtracted from the total of thecontainer weight+sample. This can be utilized in the following formulato determine a moisture content measurement for a sample: The weight ofwater being initial weight minus oven dry weight. mc=(initial wt−ovendry wt)/oven dry wt*100.

One of the components utilized in the overall growth medium may be atype of fiber. For instance, the fiber may be a wood fiber obtained fromany type of wood during the milling process. FIG. 2 illustrates aplurality of wood fiber physical properties that make it desirable toadd to a growth medium. For instance, the wood fiber may have a totalporosity of 93-97% at 065WB (Weber), 93-96% at 090WB, 96-99% at 160WB,96-99% at 363WB, and 95-99% at 510WB. At 065WB, wood fiber may have acontainer capacity (WHC) of 49-55% and an air pore space of 39-47%. At090WB, wood fiber may have a container capacity (WHC) of 41-47% and anair pore space of 47-55%. At 160WB, the wood fiber may have a containercapacity (WHC) of 42-49% and a compacted bulk density of 48-55%. At363WB, the wood fiber may have a container capacity WHC of 35-42% and acompacted bulk density of 58-63%. Lastly, at 510WB, the wood fiber mayhave a container capacity (WHC) of 27-35%, and a compacted bulk densityof 60-69%.

The wood fibers presently used may come from hard wood or soft wood andmay be completely dried and/or combined with additives prior to use inthe method presently contemplated. Such additives may include grow rock,rockwool, oasis cubes, blood meal, vermiculite and other additives ornutrients can be added to the wood fiber. In one embodiment the woodfiber is obtained from pine trees. The wood fiber may also be preparedfor utilization by breaking the wood fiber into further components orpieces and may be treated by chemicals, washing, or any other standardprocessing. The size of the wood fiber particles may be any size andshape contemplated by the art. In the preferred embodiment the woodfiber particles range in size from 1 cm to 5 cm.

It is important to note that while the present specification discussesthat one of the components that comprises the overall growth medium is awood fiber (also referred to as fibre), it is also contemplated that oneof the components can be another type of fiber beneficial for growthmediums. For instance, in one embodiment, either the first or secondcomponent may be a bacterial growth component, clay, shale, lava rock,pine shavings, composted or recycled components, water absorbingcrystals etc.

The present invention also contemplates that in one embodiment, themedium may comprise at least three components such that the componentscomprises at least coconut coir, wood fiber and an activated carbon. Theactivated carbon may be a very low percentage of the overall medium suchas 1% to 5%. In other embodiments the activated carbon may be as high as10% by weight of the growing medium. The utilization of activated carbonin the overall growth medium serves a purification purpose and ensuresthat the desired plant is obtaining all the required essentialnutrients. In another embodiment presently contemplated, the mediumcomprises at least two components such that at least one of thecomponents is activated carbon. The other of the at least two componentsmay be a wood fiber or coconut coir or a mixture of a percentage of botha wood fiber and coconut coir.

Activated carbon is constructed using charcoal. Charcoal itself isproduced in the absence of oxygen whereas activated carbon is producedby treating charcoal with oxygen. In one embodiment, the activatedcarbon presently contemplated may be made by providing charcoal and thenpowdering the charcoal by smashing the charcoal with an instrument suchas a hammer. A solution may be made using calcium along with chloride.In one embodiment, the solution is 25% calcium chloride such that 100grams of calcium chloride is dissolved in 300 mL of water. A paste isthen made by slowly adding the calcium chloride mixture to the powderedcharcoal. In the preferred embodiment, the activated carbon is formedthrough physical activation rather than chemical activation. In thephysical activation process the carbon used to create the activatedcarbon is pyrolyzed at a temperature above 600 degrees Celsius in aninert gas or is exposed to an oxidizing atmosphere at a temperaturegreater than 250 degrees Celsius.

FIG. 3 illustrates a simplistic overall refining process of using both afirst and second component to arrive at a finished product ready for usein the market. First, at least one component is chosen 300 for use basedupon the properties desired in a growth medium and what is best suitedfor plant growth. In one embodiment presently contemplated by thepresent invention, at least two components are chosen in order toconstruct a growing medium. If this is the case, then both the first andsecond component may be processed based on their processing requirementsand if two different components are chosen, they may have differentproperties from one another. Then heat 310 and pressure 330 are applied,simultaneously or substantially simultaneously, during refining and fromthat refinement a finished product 340 is developed and ready for use.In one embodiment presently contemplated, first heat 310 is applied andthen less than one minute later pressure 330 is applied. It is alsocontemplated that first pressure 300 is applied and then heat 310 lessthan a minute later.

FIG. 4 shows a more nuanced method for making the growth medium of thepresent invention. Once a user has selected a desired growing mediummost beneficial to the living article at issue and the component(s) thatmake up the desired growing medium are properly selected 400 andprepared 410. For instance, in one embodiment, the first component 110is processed into a plurality of fragments such that each fragment ofthe first component 110 has a particle size, optionally, a pH value thatdoes not exceed 6.8 and the pH of a totality of all the fragments is notless than 5.5. The second component 120 may also need to be processed inorder to properly be utilized in the finished growing medium and thepresent invention contemplates, optionally, that the least secondcomponent 120 has a pH of no less than 4.1 and no greater than 4.9. Inone embodiment, the at least first component 110 is coconut coir and theat least second component 120 is a type of wood fiber. The presentinvention contemplates that there may be numerous other types ofcomponents within the finished growing medium, but is not required forthe present invention.

The component(s) are combined to promote a relatively uniform mixture ofthe growing medium. It is contemplated that a mass ratio of the at leastfirst component to the at least second component is 20/80 percent ifmore than one component is utilized. In one embodiment, the components,when more than one is utilized, may be mixed together 420. Thecomponents may be mixed together by any means known in the art such as,but not limited to, stirring and may be accomplished by a sterile deviceor stirrer. Next, the growing medium is compressed either simultaneouslyor substantially simultaneously. In one embodiment, the intermediatemedium is compressed 430 by a hydraulic press to form varying sizes andshapes of the compressed medium. The growing medium may be compressedinto bricks, blocks, discs, slabs, or any other desired shape. Thecompression may be at any amount of pressure or may be implemented byany means known in the art. The amount of pressure may be in the rangeof 90-110 metric tons per square meter (MT), and may vary depending onthe form of growing medium desired. The growing medium of the presentinvention may be compressed into various shapes and sizes which aids inthe ease of utilization by an end user. A compressed version of adesired medium aids in the transportation of the growing medium, but italso contemplated that the finished product may be in “loose” form andcompression is not needed. Once transported to its desired location,water or any other solvent can be added to the compressed medium. Forinstance, in one embodiment, for 5 kg shapes and bricks, a pressure of125 to 160 metric tons per square meter (MT) is utilized. For grow bagsand discs, a pressure of 170 to 200 metric tons per square meter (MT) isused. In other embodiments the growing medium where the medium is notcompressed it can be bagged after mixing.

Either the compressed growing medium or uncompressed, loose growingmedium may be placed into a sterilized environment such as any containerknown in the art in order to be transported to a location for use. Forinstance, the container may be a bag made out of a polymer such asplastic that may be vacuum sealed partially or completely. A seal of acontainer may be an airtight seal. In one embodiment, the growing mediumis placed into a compressible repository. The compressible repositorymay be sterile and can withstand a set amount of pressure known in theart.

The present invention contemplates that the selection of an appropriategrowth medium and the election of the component(s) that make up saidmedium may be done manually by a user or may be a computerized selectionprocess.

The present invention also contemplates a different method for making agrowing medium in which at least a first 110 and second 120 componentare provided and the at least first 110 component is processed into aplurality of fragments. The second 120 component may also be processedby cutting, separating, and/or breaking apart the second component 120.The first 110 and second 120 component are then combined and compressedusing a hydraulic compressor at various pressures such that the mediumis first compressed at at least 90 metric tons per square meter (MT) andthe medium is then compressed at greater than 90 metric tons per squaremeter (MT). The hydraulic compressor may be any type of compressor knownin the art that can convert hydraulic power into mechanical powerallowing for said equipment with any type of existing hydraulics, tosimultaneously or substantially simultaneously, utilize hydraulic andpneumatic power.

The method may also comprise after compressing, testing a plurality ofphysical properties of a portion of the medium and verifying that eachsaid plurality of physical properties are within a variance of a set ofpreferred values. In one embodiment, the set of preferred valuescomprise a mixture in the ratio of 50/50 or 80/20 wood fiber to coconutcoir, an acidic pH level and an overall less than 20% moisture content.

The invention is also directed toward a growing mixture containing apercent by weight of coconut coir and a percent by weight of wood fiber.In other embodiments the growing mixture contains a percent by weight ofactivated carbon. In the preferred embodiment the growing mixturecontains between 10% to 90% by weight of coconut coir and thecorresponding amount by weight of wood fiber so that the entire mixtureis 100% a combination of coconut coir and wood fiber. In otherembodiments the mixture contains up to 10% by weight of activatedcarbon. The remaining 90% is formed by the mixture of coconut coir andwood fiber. This 90% mixture itself may contain between 10% to 90% byweight of coconut choir and the corresponding amount by weight of woodfiber (e.g. 10% coconut coir and 90% wood fiber; 90% coconut coir and10% wood fiber).

The invention is directed toward a growing medium comprising acombination of wood fiber and coconut coir. The growing medium maycontain any amount percentage of wood fiber and any percentage ofcoconut coir. The varying percentages utilized would depend on thedesired qualities of growing medium. The preferred range of wood fiberutilized is best between ten percent to fifty percent. If ten percent ofwood fiber is used then ninety percent of coconut coir is used. If fiftypercent of wood fiber is used then fifty percent of coconut coir isused. In the preferred embodiment the growing medium contains betweenten percent and thirty percent of wood fiber. In this range, thecombined wood fiber and coconut coir optimizes the water retention andair porosity of the medium.

To make the growing medium the coconut coir is chopped up into smallpieces. The coconut coir is washed and dried to remove any undesiredcontaminants. The coconut choir may be steam sanitized as well. Afterprocessing, the individual particle size of the coconut coir may be anysize. In the preferred embodiment the coconut coir ranges from 1 mm to12 mm in size. The wood fiber may be obtained from any type of woodduring the milling process. The wood fibers may come from hard wood orsoft wood. In the preferred embodiment the wood fiber is obtained frompine trees. The wood fiber may be treated by chemicals, washing, or anyother standard processing. The size of the wood fiber particles may beany size and shape. In the preferred embodiment the wood fiber particlesrange in size from 1 cm to 5 cm.

The growing medium may also contain separate percentages of specificsizes of particles of coconut coir and specific size ranges of woodfiber. The sizes may also be separated into small ranges of sizes andthe growing medium may contain specific percentages of each size range.The different sizes or ranges can be separated by sifting or filteringthe wood fiber and coconut coir. For instance, the final growing mediummay contain 20 to 25% by weight coconut coir in the range of 1 mm to 5mm, 25 to 30% by weight coconut coir in the range of 6 mm to 12 mm, 30to 40% by weight wood fiber in the range of 1 cm to 2 cm, and 0% to 5%wood fiber by weight in the range of 3 cm to 5 cm.

Once the desired amounts of coconut coir and wood fiber are selected,the materials are mixed together to promote a relatively uniform mixtureof the growing medium. The growing medium is then compressed by ahydraulic press to form varying sizes and shapes of the compressedmedium. The compression may be at any amount of pressure or may beimplemented by any means. The amount of pressure may be in the range of90-110 metric tons per square meter (MT). The amount of pressure usedmay vary depending on the form that growing medium is formed. Forinstance, for 5 kg shapes and bricks, a pressure of 125 to 160 metrictons per square meter (MT) is utilized. For grow bags and discs, apressure of 170 to 200 metric tons per square meter (MT) is used. Thegrowing medium may be compressed into bricks blocks, discs, slabs, orany other desired shape. In other embodiments the growing medium is notcompressed but is bagged after mixing.

To utilize the mixture, a user obtains the compressed block of themixture of growing media. The user opens the bag of compressed growingmedium. The user then places the block of growing medium in a desiredcontainer which will house a plat or seed for growing. The user maybreak off a certain predetermined section of the growing block so thatthe user only uses a portion of the growing medium. The user thenrehydrates the growing medium with a predetermined amount of water. Whenrehydrated the growing medium expands. The user may select all or aportion of the expanded growing medium. The user then places a smallplant or a seed within the expanded growing medium.

In other embodiments of the invention the user may place the growingmedium in a prepared section of earth such as in a garden bed. The usermay remove a portion of rocks, dirt, or soil from a chosen area andplace the compressed or expanded growing medium in the chosen area.

What has been described above includes examples of the claimed subjectmatter. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivablecombination of components or methodologies for purposes of describingthe claimed subject matter, but one of ordinary skill in the art canrecognize that many further combinations and permutations of such matterare possible. Accordingly, the claimed subject matter is intended toembrace all such alterations, modifications and variations that fallwithin the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, to theextent that the term “includes” is used in either the detaileddescription or the claims, such term is intended to be inclusive in amanner similar to the term “comprising” as “comprising” is interpretedwhen employed as a transitional word in a claim.

As will be appreciated by one of skill in the art the order of steps inthe foregoing embodiments may be performed in any order. Words such as“thereafter,” “then,” “next,” etc. are not intended to limit the orderof the steps; these words are simply used to guide the reader throughthe description of the methods. Further, any reference to claim elementsin the singular, for example, using the articles “a,” “an” or “the” isnot to be construed as limiting the element to the singular.

The preceding description of the disclosed embodiments is provided toenable any person skilled in the art to make or use the presentinvention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readilyapparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles definedherein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from thespirit or scope of the invention. Thus, the present invention is notintended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein but is to beaccorded the widest scope consistent with the following claims and theprinciples and novel features disclosed herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for making a growing medium for plantlife, comprising the steps of: providing a first component and a secondcomponent wherein first component is coconut coir and said secondcomponent is wood fiber; breaking said first component into a pluralityof first fragments such that each of said first fragments of said firstcomponent has a particle size; drying said second component and breakingthe second component into a plurality of second fragments; combiningsaid first component and said second component; and compressing saidfirst component and said second component into a shape and size usingpressure.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein compressing said firstcomponent and said second component into a shape and size using pressurefurther comprises using heat and wherein the heat and pressure areapplied substantially simultaneously.
 3. The method of claim 1 furthercomprising confirming said first component has an electricalconductivity (EC) value less than 0.800 S/m.
 4. The method of claim 1further comprising confirming said coconut coir has a specific moisturecontent value, wherein said specific moisture content value is less thantwenty (20) percent.
 5. The method of claim 1 further comprisingconfirming a mass ratio of the said first component to said secondcomponent is a ratio ranging between 80/20 and 50/50.
 6. The method ofclaim 1 further comprising adding one or more additives to said secondcomponent.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein said second component isselected from a group consisting of fibers from hardwood trees andfibers from softwood trees.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein combiningsaid first component and said second component further comprises mixingwith at least one stirring device.
 9. The method of claim 1 furthercomprising placing said growing medium after compressing in a container.10. The method of claim 9, further comprising vacuum sealing saidcontainer.
 11. The method of claim 1, further comprising placing saidgrowing medium into a compressible repository after compressing, whereinsaid compressible repository is sterile and can withstand a set amountof pressure not less than 90 MT.
 12. The method of claim 1, wherein themethod further comprises providing at least a third component prior toprocessing the first and the second components such that the thirdcomponent is an activated carbon component.
 13. The method of claim 1,wherein each of said first fragments of said first component has a pHvalue that does not exceed 6.8.
 14. The method of claim 13 wherein saidplurality of said second fragments has a pH of no less than 4.1.
 15. Amethod for making a growing medium, comprising the steps of: providingat least a first component comprising coconut coir; providing a secondcomponent comprising wood fibers; processing the coconut coir into aplurality of fragments; adding a plurality of wood fibers to the coconutcoir; combining the coconut coir and wood fibers to form a growingmedium; heating the growing medium; and compressing the growing mediuminto a shape and size using a compressor such that the growing medium isfirst compressed at a pressure of at least 90 MT and the growing mediumis then compressed at a pressure greater than 90 MT.
 16. The method ofclaim 15 further comprising, after compressing the growing medium,testing a plurality of physical properties of a portion of the growingmedium; and verifying that each said plurality of physical propertiesare each within a variance of a set of preferred values.
 17. The methodof claim 16, wherein the set of preferred values comprises a mixturecomprising from 50% to 80% wood fiber by mass; and a mixture comprisingfrom 20% to 50% coconut coir by mass; and less than 20% moisture bymass; and an acidic pH level.
 18. The method of claim 15, furthercomprising adding activated carbon prior to the growing medium.
 19. Agrowing medium comprising between 10% to 80% by weight of coconut coir;between 10% and 80% by weight wood fiber; between 0% and 10% by weightof activated carbon; and wherein the growing medium is a compressedshape.
 20. The growing medium of claim 19, further comprising between 1%and 10% by weight activated carbon; wherein the growing medium has anacidic pH; and wherein the growing medium contains between 20% and 25%by weight coconut coir particles in the range of 1 mm to 5 mm, between25% and 30% by weight coconut coir particles in the range of 6 mm to 12mm, and between 30% and 40% by weight wood fiber particles in the rangeof 1 cm to 2 cm.